Richard Harrison Lartey says he plans to stop Britain’s Nathan Gorman Saturday night at BT Sports Studio in Stratford, England.
Both heavyweights are ready to battle following Friday’s weigh-in that saw the 24-year old Gorman (16-1, 11 KOs) come in at career-high 273-pounds (previous high was 261) and Lartey at Ghana’s Lartey at a well-sculpted 256-pounds.
Ghana’s Lartey (14-2, 11 KOs) will end his 17-month layoff by fighting in the UK for a second time. In April 2019, he was stopped in four rounds against rising undefeated prospect Daniel Dubois. However, Lartey cites a number of outside-the-ring issues — including not having his trainer in his corner — as part of the reason why he underperformed.
“I’m in a better position to win this fight than in the Dubois bout,” Lartey told BoxingAfrica.com following Friday’s weigh-in. “I have my trainer Prince Owusu leading me into the bout and that should be enough motivation.
“Against Dubois, I had to enter the ring without my trainer because he was not on the trip to the UK and that really affected my chances of winning.”
Regarding the layoff, the 28-year slugger replied, “I don’t think I will be affected by ring rust because Gorman also hasn’t fought in a long time, 15 months. I believe we should all be on the same level because I haven’t fought in a long time.”
Even so, Lartey is a heavy underdog fighting another Brit in their backyard. The Ghanaian is unbothered by the odds and says he plans to take the fight to his opponent.
“I have a bright chance of winning. Gorman is not in good shape and has gained weight ahead of the bout,” said Lartey. “With a lot of pressure, I can stop him. The focus is to win and I will do everything to achieve that against Gorman.”
